I was overwhelmed today by the bounty at the farmers' market. The entire market smells of melons, sweet and intoxicating. Everyone I spoke with was in a great mood. Stephanie picked up some gorgeous okra to continue her okra adventures.
Exhausted this evening and consumed with everything I need to get done, I found inspiration from Mark Bittman's 101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less and threw together a local foods panzanella. The bread was an olive baguette from Brickmaiden Bakery (Pt. Reyes). The Armenian cucumber was over two feet long and was brought to market by Full Belly Farm (Yolo County). The gorgeous tomatoes were from The Peach Farm (Winters). I used chives from one of my very favorite farms: Marin Roots Farm (Marin County). I tossed everything together with some (local) salted anchovies, champagne vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. One of the few times recently that eating a completely satisfying meal has taken longer than making it.
Thanks to Jeanne for sending me the Bittman article today!
